Social integration and loneliness among long-term care home residents: protocol for a scoping review

Jennifer Bethell; Jessica Babineau; Andrea Iaboni; Robin Green; Rachelle Cuaresma-Canlas; Roobika Karunananthan; Barbara Schon; Denise Schon; Katherine S McGilton

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033240

Social integration and loneliness among long-term care home residents: protocol for a scoping review

BMJ Open. 2019 Dec 9;9(12):e033240. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033240.

Authors

Jennifer Bethell^{1

2}, Jessica Babineau³, Andrea Iaboni^{3

4}, Robin Green^{3

4}, Rachelle Cuaresma-Canlas⁵, Roobika Karunananthan⁵, Barbara Schon⁵, Denise Schon⁵, Katherine S McGilton^{3

6}

Affiliations

¹ KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada jennifer.bethell@uhn.ca.
² Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
³ KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Introduction: Social well-being is associated with better physical and mental health. It is also important for quality of life, including from the perspectives of those living in long-term care (LTC) homes. However, given the characteristics of the LTC home environment and the people who live there, the nature and influence of social integration and loneliness, and strategies to address them, may differ in this population compared with those living in the community. The objective of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the nature and extent of research on social integration and loneliness among LTC home residents, including a summary of how these concepts have been operationalised and any evidence from specific groups.

Methods and analysis: This study protocol describes the methods of a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature related to social integration and loneliness among LTC home residents. A literature search was developed by an Information Specialist and will be conducted in MEDLINE(R) ALL (in Ovid, including Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE(R) Daily) and then translated into CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO (Ovid), Scopus, Sociological Abstracts (Proquest), Embase and Embase Classic (Ovid), Emcare Nursing (Ovid) and AgeLine (EBSCO). Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts of articles identified in the search. Two reviewers will then independently review full text articles for inclusion. Data extraction will also be carried out in duplicate. We will engage LTC home community members, including residents, family and staff, to refine the review questions, assist in interpreting the results and participate in knowledge translation.

Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval is not required. We will present findings at conferences and publish in a peer-reviewed journal. Ultimately, we hope to inform future observational and interventional research aimed at improving the health and quality of life of LTC home residents.

Keywords: geriatric medicine; health services administration & management; public health.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Loneliness / psychology*
Long-Term Care / psychology*
Long-Term Care / statistics & numerical data
Quality of Life
Review Literature as Topic
Social Integration*
Social Support